Universe Man
by Michael S. Repton
Summary: The House has been rebuilt, and is about to serve as the stage for a Hunger Games-style tournament involving characters from twelve different fictional universes.
1. Vol I Ch 1 The Dark Lord

**(o)**

**Universe Man**

Volume One of the Universe Games

* * *

**Author's Note  
**

_Universe Man_ is an oddity. The plot is inspired by _The Hunger Games_; it takes place in the world of _Keys to the Kingdom_, and has characters drawn from twelve different series (mostly, but not entirely, Magical Girl anime). With so many worlds and characters involved, there will inevitably be inaccuracies, and I apologise in advance for those. I hope the story is enjoyable nonetheless.

* * *

**PART I ****– MONDAY**

_You see, the Dark Ages tried to make a science about good people.  
But our own humane and enlightened age is only interested in a science about bad ones.  
Yet I think our general experience is that every conceivable sort of man has been a saint.  
And I suspect you will find, too, that every conceivable sort of man has been a murderer._

G. K. Chesterton

* * *

**1  
****The Dark Lord on His Dark Throne**

The electrum throne sat on the surface of a dead sun at the very end of Time. There was no particular reason why the Lord of Creation had set up his throne there, but it sounded cool. One could not call oneself "Lord of Creation" and sit on a comfortable armchair in a mock Victorian sitting-room. It looked cool, as well: the stormy fires of the original sun had long since burned out, leaving only particles that fused into a sphere the size of a mortal city. Swirls of turquoise and white and misty grey span across its surface in fantastic spirals and vortices, like leftover paints merging together as they ran down the plughole. But the Lord of Creation had sat there for so long that the marvellous miasma beneath his feet no longer held any fascination for him. He spent most of his time looking outward, where in the boundless void above the star there hung a quadrillion screens, each showing one of the universes he ruled over, and so attuned to his thought that it could change to show any time and place within that world in less time than it took to blink.

Right now, though, he was not looking up at the screens, but down at his watch.

It was almost time.

This remarkable timepiece had three hands – a minute hand, a millennium hand and an aeon hand – all made of diamond, with impossibly sharp points, as they needed to reach out and touch the innumerable points around the rim one at a time. Now, the millennium hand and the aeon hand lay across each other at the number twelve, and the minute hand came tripping its sprightly dance around the circle to join them.

He called out into the void: "Let my Trustees appear before me!"

The minute hand slid over the final gap and touched the others with a clear note like a resounding bell, and then moved on. The screens folded and vanished in an instant, and a circle of light appeared in the space where they had been. There stood the Seven Trustees – or at least, six of them stood. Monday was in his wheelchair as usual.

He smiled. The Trustees were part of the previous Creation before he had taken over, but he had no regrets about resurrecting them. They were an odd assortment, each with their own desires and schemes and resentments, but that was part of what made them so fun to work with. If left to themselves, they would fall into quarrelling over petty matters until the whole world went to ruin; but with the right strictures in place, they could be forced to work together. It was difficult, but the challenge stimulated him as little else did.

Five of them bowed, each in their characteristic manner – Friday with an almost flirtatious flourish; Saturday more solemnly, simulating an all-too-fake servility. Sunday just nodded, with a supercilious smirk on his face. Monday reclined in his chair and looked bored.

His gaze travelled from one of them to another, and settled on Sunday.

"Tell me first, Lord Sunday, most trusted of my treacherous time-servers. How tarries the traitor in his timeless torment?"

Sunday was a fine and proud figure, ten feet tall, resplendent in silver armour with stars shining on his shoulders.

"My Lord, the termite who once had the temerity to style himself the New Architect remains tied, trussed and tethered to my timepiece. He wounded my pride once. In ten trillion years I should not tire of torturing him."

"Tremendous."

His gaze travelled on to the woman who stood at Sunday's side. She was a sylph of surpassing loveliness, her shape slender, smooth and sinuous. Her eyes sparkled like the shine of seven thousand suns, and her silvery hair streamed over her shoulders like a shawl of splendid silk. Yet even the sight of her flawless features failed to fascinate him now. He noted her presence, nothing more.

"Superior Saturday. Have you supervised the sorcerous safeguarding of the arena? Is everything set up to your satisfaction?"

"Most satisfactory, my Lord," she said. "The scaffolding has been sublimated, shields synchronised, and self-acting security sigils established. The sixth demesne of the House is now a spotless stronghold."

"Splendid." He leant forward towards her and stared straight into her eyes. "You know, of course, that this time the strain on your spells will be stronger?"

"I am aware," she said softly. "I assure you, my spells will suffice against any assault."

"Superb." He flashed a sardonic smile at her, and moved on.

The next Trustee in line, Lady Friday was less fair of face, but she feigned it behind a façade of flamboyant finery, her frock and footwear festooned with gems that sent flashes of light flickering out to form a veil over her whole figure.

"My dear friend Friday. How fare the preparations for our fashion parade?"

"The costumes are coming on with considerable celerity," she answered. "All chambers have been customised, and the cameras have been checked with all possible care."

"I congratulate you."

He turned to Sir Thursday, who stood arrayed in a suit of ancient armour. "And the army?" he said. "Are they alert and ready for action?"

"As alert as always," Thursday said angrily. "Any intimation of apathy would be anathema to the Glorious Army of the Architect."

"Most auspicious." His gaze moved on to Wednesday, or rather, her hair, which hid her face behind a heap of slithering strands like hissing serpents. Just one eye was visible, a glassy bead of dull blue-green that expressed no emotion.

"Duchess Wednesday," he said. "Have you decided whether you will do your duty? I seem to recall you had some doubt..."

Her one eye gave him a dour look.

"You know that I dislike dealing in deception –"

He gave a snort of contempt.

"That is your weakness, you woeful woman. What's a drop of deception when you look at the vastness of the universe? We need to keep the wheels of the world working smoothly."

Her face remained inscrutable.

"I have no choice. But I warn you that it may work against you in the end."

He threw his head back and laughed.

"We have no time for idle chitchat. Next! Cheerful Tuesday –"

Tuesday, clad in dark leather and tarnished silver gloves, his face blackened by soot, looked anything back cheerful. "Don't call me that!" he snarled.

"Chipper Tuesday, then," he said with a wave of his hand. "Are the young women's weapons well-forged and waiting to be wielded?"

Tuesday bit into his lip to hold back a retort. At length he said, "They are carved with the culmination of my craftsmanship."

He nodded.

"Everything is ready, then," he said. His eyes came alive with excitement.

He turned his attention to the last of the Trustees, who still sat idly in his wheelchair, watching the empty skies as though none of this conversation was any of his concern.

Sneezer, Monday's butler, stood solid and silent behind the wheelchair, a bulky shadow in a long black coat.

"So last and least we come to you, Sneezer, long-suffering lackey of my laziest loyalist. Have you the list?"

Sneezer stepped forward and produced a piece of paper.

He ran his eye over it, studying it with deep scrutiny, and then blinked in surprise.

"Are you sure these all fit the theme?"

Sneezer replied in his cultivated manservant's monotone. "They are all realms with magical maidens, as requested, my Lord," he said.

"These appear to be odd ones out –" He tapped a finger against the paper.

"They will add a varnish of variety."

He let out a long, luxuriant laugh. "You may be right. Very well, then!" He looked round at the Seven Trustees, and clapped his hands. "You may all go. Mister Monday!"

The young man in the wheelchair sat up sharply and swivelled his head.

"It is time for you to meddle once more in mortal affairs. Visit each of the worlds on the list, and give them the Challenge. Understood?"

Monday nodded.

"The dials are set. It is now Monday in each of these twelve worlds. You must go at once."

He handed Sneezer back the paper, and then clicked his fingers.

In a flash, the Trustees were gone.


	2. Vol I Ch 2 Just Another Manic Monday

**(o)**

**Universe Man**

**2**  
**Just Another Manic Monday**

_(Universe 9)_

Dark clouds hung low over the rooftops, making the world seem small and enclosed. Light shone through a web of thin cracks that radiated out from where the moon, a luminous bauble, dangled from the sky, slowly sinking as the threads holding it in place began to sag. Below the clouds, a fierce wind whistled down the streets, picking up a flurry of pebbles, twigs and autumn leaves, and battering them against the windows in a relentless drumbeat. No-one was out on such a night, except for an old stray cat who had been through many battles, and was missing an ear and half his fur. He huddled behind a tree, holding himself together as well as he could, though he knew the coming winter was an enemy he could not defeat.

And so no-one saw a gap appear in the sky; no-one heard the hard thump as two people appeared in mid-air and dropped to the ground.

The cat must have smelled something, though. He glanced round and let out a shrill shriek, his hair standing on end, and turned tail and scampered away into the night.

The girl lifted herself awkwardly from the puddle she had landed in. She wore a low-cut sleeveless black dress, and the exposed flesh around her shoulders was now thick with splashes of mud. That made her so dark that only her eyes were still visible as gleaming red lights.

"Is this the place?" she said. "Wow! It's so cool to be back here!"

"_Ssh!_" said the boy. He, too, was dressed in black, a long cloak worn almost to shreds in places, but he had managed to fall on his feet and avoid the puddle. Still, his hair was longer these days, and the wind kept blowing it across his face, making him appear and disappear.

He helped the girl to her feet, and kept one hand clasping hers. "We must keep quiet."

"Oh, there's no-one around to hear us," she laughed.

"We can't be sure of that. And you know what it'll mean if they find us."

She snorted. "It's not like they could actually _do_ anything."

"They could. They could erase this whole world if they felt like it."

"Wouldn't that violate their Original Agreement or whatever it's called?"

"Yes, but they could find a loophole, if we gave them enough incentive to look for one."

She tightened her grip on his hand. "You could stop them. I believe in you."

He shook his head. "I couldn't. But we're wasting time. We've got to find her house."

"Well, don't you know which one it is?"

"I know what it looks like, but I don't see it yet. It'll be around here somewhere."

Keeping tightly pressed against each other for warmth, they moved down the street. He swivelled his head continuously from side to side, looking out at the houses around them; she just watched him and smiled.

At last, they reached a junction, and came to a halt.

"We must have gone past it," he muttered. "I _know_ I got the right street. I checked five times."

"It's too dark," she said. "We're not going to find it."

"We've _got_ to find it. Dawn's not far off, and it will be Monday morning."

They started to turn around. As soon as they did, the wind, which had not eased off even for a moment, drove the rain straight into their faces, bombarding them with tiny spikes of pain. He bit into his lip and stood still, gazing down the line of houses.

"There!" he said at last. "It's that one. I'm sure of it."

"Hurray!" she cried. "I wonder if she'll be pleased to see us?"

"Let's find out."

The two of them practically ran to the front door, and the boy leapt forward and rang the bell – nine times, so as to make absolutely sure the occupants woke up. There was no time now for half-measures.

From inside the house came the screaming of a baby, and then thundering footsteps.

The door flew open.

A woman, dressed in a lilac nightgown, stood on the threshold and glared at them.

"How dare you make such a racket?" she cried. "You've woken up the kids, and now –"

She came to a sudden stop as she realised who was standing in front of her.

"_You!_"

She slammed the door and hastily locked it.

"Not quite the welcome I was expecting," the boy said calmly. He stretched out a hand towards the lock. It clicked, and the door creaked open again.

The woman backed off, one careful step at a time, her head swivelling round as her eyes frantically scanned for something she could use as a weapon.

The boy stepped inside the house, and the girl followed and gently closed the door.

"Now, now," he said with a smile. "Is that any way to welcome an old friend?"

"Friend?" the woman hissed. "Last time we met, we were trying to kill each other!"

"That's all in the past now. Listen, we're here to do you a favour."

She eyed him with evident distrust. "A favour?"

"Yes."

She sighed. He could see that she was still angry, but at least she wasn't looking round for a weapon any more, and he took that as a good sign.

"Look," she said, "nothing personal, but I don't want you in my life right now. I'm settled down. I've got a family, and I don't want them getting caught up in my past."

"I'm afraid you don't have a choice."

"Oh? Is that a threat?"

"Just a warning. You've been chosen for the Universe Games. Or rather, this world has, and I understand the current Games are to have a magical girl theme. You're the only magical girl in this world – unless we count your kids, and they're too young. So it's got to be you."

"What in hell's name are you talking about?"

He couldn't look her in the eye just then.

"A contest between twelve different worlds, overseen by the House, the bureaucracy that rules all the worlds. If you refuse to take part, this world will be destroyed."

She clenched a fist. "What have you gotten us into now?"

"It's nothing to do with us. I'd try to explain, but... we really don't have time. Mister Monday is going round each of the twelve worlds in turn, to give them the Challenge. We've got to get ready before he gets here."

There was a brief silence.

"Fine," she said, still glowering. "Let's not waste time, in that case. Come on in."

They followed her into the kitchen. The boy strode ahead rapidly; the girl drifted forward, looking round in fascination at everything she saw.

"Look at this!" she cried, letting go of his hand and picking up an umbrella. "It's so long since I've seen one of these! It even has that little clicky thing!"

"Can you be quiet?" the woman hissed. "Hopefully the kids will be back asleep by now..."

She and the boy sat down opposite each other, while the girl started to look around the room, picking up in turn an egg-timer, a garlic press, a pepper mill and an ornate vase, turning each one over in her hands and gazing at it as though its existence was a inexplicable miracle.

"Be careful with that!" the woman called out. "It's an heirloom from my grandmother..."

She decided not to say anything about the muddy footprints the girl was leaving all over the room. Right now there were more important things to worry about.

"So tell me," she said, "what exactly _are_ the Universe Games?"

* * *

_(Universe 6)_

Another room, in another building, in another place, in another world. It was just before dawn on Monday morning in this world too. It may have been the same Monday morning, or it may have been a different one; it was hard to keep track of the way time flowed between the House and the Secondary Realms. Here, the moon had sunk below the mountains, and there was almost no light at all. That suited Rika; it would not do at all to have the others see _this_.

She crouched stiffly on the wooden floor, resolutely ignoring the pain as shards of torn floorboards dug into her skin. She was holding a fragment of crystal. And speaking into it.

She had, in fact, just asked the same question. "What exactly are the Universe Games?"

"I don't know, honest!" a high-pitched voice squeaked out from the crystal fragment.

"I know there's something you're not telling me," Rika said through clenched teeth.

"It's not like that! Please don't be so suspicious!"

She snorted. "Suspicious? If I hadn't listened to you, I wouldn't have ended up here, trapped in this crazy world where everyone thinks Satoko and I are magical girls!"

"Aww... but you look like you've been having so much fun!"

She gripped the crystal tightly and leant in closer.

"Does it really look like I've been having fun?" she said. "_Does it really?_"

"Au au... don't be mad at me..."

Rika sighed. "I'm sorry, Hanyuu. But, you know... at first I could smile. Falling into a parallel world – that's nothing new. But the longer I'm stuck here... the more I begin to forget what it was like to have real friends, and not just a cheering brigade. People who understand me and know what I've been through."

She lowered her head. One might almost have thought a tear was about to fall.

"I can't stay here. It's like being in a demented parody of my own life. Those aren't my friends – they're caricatures. I've got to get back to my own world – no matter what it takes."

"So – you'll take part in the Universe Games, then?"

"If that's what I have to do," she said coldly. "And win them, as well, if I have to."

"You can do it!" the other voice said cheerily. "I'm counting on you!"

"And I'm counting on _you_," said Rika. "I want you to give me all the help you can – including telling me, right now, exactly what I'm letting myself in for."

"Well... I don't know very much, but it's a contest between magical girls from twelve different worlds..."

"A contest of magic?"

"_Nano desu..._"

"What exactly will we have to do?"

"I'm not sure..."

"You're not being very much help," she snarled.

"I'm sorry!"

"And, presumably, the other competitors will all be experienced magical girls who've been doing this all their lives," said Rika.

"I don't know what the other worlds are like..."

"Tell me the honest truth. Do we have any chance at all?"

There was a long silence.

"In other words," Rika said flatly, "our only hope is that maybe all eleven of the other worlds will be just as crazy as this one."

"Don't say that, Rika! You can do it!"

Rika blinked, and then sighed. "I'm going to bed."

She tucked the crystal fragment back under the tablecloth, and crawled out of the room. Fortunately, the room was similar enough to its counterpart in her original world that she didn't need light to find her way. She would get back to bed, and worry about these Games in the morning. Or, even better, wake up to find that all of this was nothing but a bad dream...

* * *

_(Universe 4)_

"Did you have a bad dream?"

Tousaka Rin blinked, several times, letting in just enough light to allow her to build up a picture of her surroundings. In front of her was a curtain of a rich burgundy fabric, and the first trace of sunlight was glinting through a crack. All was peaceful and still. There was no snow, no dog howling, and no woman standing over her preparing to bring down her blade...

"Yeah," she said, in between a series of deep breaths. "It must just have been a dream."

"Are you all right?" said Shirou. She turned her head. He was kneeling on the carpet next to her – wait, on the carpet? Rin leant back, and realised that she was sitting propped up against the bed. She must have fallen out. No wonder she felt so dizzy.

Her nightgown lay loosely around her shoulders and over her legs. Shirou must have fetched it to cover her up. He'd been so hasty to attend to her that he was still naked himself.

"I'm fine," she said. "It was nothing, just a nightmare."

"That's good." He smiled. "Maybe we should both get dressed and go down and have some tea." He lifted himself up, and crossed the room towards his wardrobe.

Rin slipped one hand loose from her nightgown to help herself get up.

And screamed.

Shirou stopped in his tracks and swivelled round. At the same moment, the door burst open and Rin's sister, Sakura, flew into the room.

"Are you all right? What's happened?"

Trembling, Rin stretched out her hand. At once, the others saw what had startled her. The marks on the back of her hand, the Command Seals used to control her Servant in the war, had faded when he was defeated, until they looked like an ordinary birthmark. Now they were blazing bright red again.

"Impossible...," Shirou said softly.

Sakura rushed forward and knelt by Rin's side, holding on to her other hand. She opened her mouth, but no sound came out. Shirou looked down at the two of them, wondering whether he ought to offer Rin a hand as well – but then he remembered that he was still naked, and he blushed and hastily sat down behind a chair.

"Shirou," said Rin, "have... have yours come back?"

"No."

She breathed a sigh of relief. "That's something. But what do you think it means?"

"_It means that you and I are going hunting again._"

There was a sudden chill as a blast of cold air came through a window that had not been open. The window swung inwards until it thudded against the wall; the wind whistled, and the air came alive with the sounds of the outdoors, trees swaying and branches cracking and rain pattering against the pavement.

They all three looked up. Archer stood in front of the window – he had not changed at all since they last saw him, for as a Heroic Spirit he existed outside time. The skirt of his red overcoat fluttered behind him; his white hair stood up in a row of spikes. He was smiling.

"We must get ready," he said. "We have very little time."

"For what?" said Rin. "Is the Grail War starting again or something? It's not possible!"

"Not exactly that," said Archer. "A contest of magecraft between twenty-four mages from twelve worlds."

Rin got to her feet and faced him, holding her nightgown in place around herself.

"Twelve Masters and Servants?"

"Not exactly. As I understand it, each world has its own rules. Each world submits two Tributes, whether they be a Master and Servant, or two mages who are friends and equals, or one mage and a non-magical sidekick. Regardless, each world is eliminated from the contest only when both Tributes are defeated, and the last world remaining is the winner."

Rin turned away.

"Sorry," she said. "I'd rather not get involved in anything like that again. Don't get me wrong, it was fun being your partner, but..."

"I'm afraid you have no choice."

"What do you mean?" Shirou blurted out.

Archer didn't respond for a second, and then let his eyes move slowly round, as though noticing Shirou for the first time.

"Emiya Shirou. It's good to see you again, and I'm glad you learned to take my advice. It appears you still need some advice on matters of decorum, but there's no time for that. I mean what I say: we have no choice. If we refuse to take part, this world will be deemed to have forfeited, and will be destroyed."

"_Destroyed?_"

"Indeed. To the masters that govern the House, this world is only one of many, and is expendable."

"We can't let that happen..."

"Then the only thing to do is to accept the Challenge, and try to win the contest."

Slowly, Rin turned round again.

"_I accept_," she said coldly.

"But...," Shirou began.

"If this is the only way, then it's what we must do. Sorry, that's tautological, isn't it? How much time do we have to get ready?"

"Just enough time for you to get some clothes on and gather whatever you want to take with you," said Archer. "Dawn has broken. Mister Monday will already be at the first world."

* * *

_(Universe 1)_

A circle of light shimmered in the air, and Sneezer turned and started to move away, pushing the strange chair ahead of him. The portal was just in front of the torii, and in normal space he would have been pushing the chair right through the gate and down the steps beyond, and the chair did not look like it was designed to cope with stairs. But instead of turning down, Sneezer continued in a straight line, until the circle of light closed around him and he was gone.

Hino Rei remained staring into the space where the portal had been. She clasped a broom in her left hand, for she had been sweeping up the shrine courtyard when Sneezer and Mister Monday arrived. She had risen early, and it was still not long after dawn: the shrine was situated on top of Sendai Hill, and she was looking down over the city as the early morning sun brought it to life. _Her_ city. She and her friends had fought many battles to protect it, and the ordinary people had never known. To be sure, they knew that the sailor warriors existed, but only as a dim legend, something to turn into a profitable series of merchandise and joke about with the children who were still young enough to believe in magic. Even those who had been saved by the sailor warriors never realised the scale of the battles they fought, never knew that the whole city would have been obliterated several times over by now were it not for them. And that was just the way Rei and the others wanted it: they did not need any thanks. Just knowing that their city was thriving, that millions of people would soon be getting up to welcome in another day, was reward enough.

So, now that a new danger had appeared, there was no question that they would fight.

She pressed the buzzer on her communicator again.

"Huh?" came a sleepy voice over the connection. "Rei-chan, wazzup?"

"Usagi-chan, I need you and the others here right now. It's an emergency."

Rei sighed as she put the communicator away. Some things never changed, and Usagi's laziness was one of them. But, fortunately, so was her determination. She would show up. Rei had no doubt at all about that.

She went inside to make the tea and get their meeting-room ready. It was not long before the others started to arrive, but Rei refused to say anything until they were all there. As expected, Usagi was the last to make it; she stumbled in through the doorway, yawning deeply, and immediately collapsed on the nearest couch, without even noticing that Ami was already sitting there. The blue-haired girl twitched as she absorbed the shock of Usagi landing on her, but she was too polite to push her away. So she just sat there, and allowed Usagi to lean into her, wilting and looking as though she was in danger of falling asleep again at any moment.

"So, what's all this about?" said Makoto.

Rei cleared her throat.

"I was sweeping the courtyard when a portal appeared, and two men came through it – one in a wheelchair, and one pushing it. They gave me this."

She handed round the scroll Sneezer had given her.

Ami took it and read it out.

_To the denizens of World [tnxcis\ms\s], henceforth referred to as "Universe 1". Congratulations!_

_Your World has been selected as one of the twelve to compete in the forthcoming Universe Games. Please observe the following rules:_

_Rule 1: Each world must nominate no more than two Tributes to compete in the Games (each Tribute may be accompanied by no more than one animal sidekick, familiar, etc.);  
Rule 2: Since the Games are primarily a contest of magical skill, it is recommended (but not required) that at least one Tribute has magical powers;  
Rule 3: Since briefing for the Games will be given in Japanese, it is recommended (but not required) that at least one Tribute speaks that language;  
Rule 4: All Tributes must be female and under the age of 20. This rule has been relaxed in the case of Universes 4 and 9, because it's fun to have exceptions._

The fourth rule was followed by a :) emoticon, actually written out on the document.

_Rule 5: Tributes must be chosen before the arrival of Monday's Noon. They will be taken to the House by Monday, equipped by Tuesday, briefed by Wednesday, trained by Thursday, costumed and interviewed by Friday, shown to the arena by Saturday, and (if still living) brought home afterwards by Sunday._

_Rule 6: Any world's failure to submit Tributes as required will result in immediate forfeiture, and destruction of the world in question._

"_What?_" Minako cried as this last rule was read out.

"Are they serious?" said Makoto.

"I think so," said Rei. "I questioned the sacred fire. Mister Monday and Sneezer really are from outside this world. They're not human. Sneezer is some sort of magical construct, and Monday is clearly a being of immense power. I was unable to analyse him."

"What does that mean?" said Minako.

"Well," said Rei, "in essence, it means he is the equivalent of a god."

All of them shuddered, except for Usagi, who seemed to be paying them little attention.

"And you really think he will destroy the universe if we don't comply?" said Ami.

"I don't know, but that's what he said," said Rei. "But I feel sure that it would be unwise to fight him – even all of us together. He's way beyond any enemy we've faced."

"So... what's the plan?" said Makoto.

"Well, that's what we have to decide now," said Ami. "I think, if what Rei says is true, that we really do have to go along with the contract – at least for now."

"At least for now?" Makoto pressed. "But if two of us have to go outside this universe – what happens if something goes wrong? How will the rest of us be able to help, or even know about it?" She looked anxiously at Rei.

"I don't know," said Rei. "What do you think, Ami-chan? Will our communicators work if we take them into another universe?"

"I'm afraid I have no idea," she said. "Sailor Pluto might know, but we don't have time to consult her."

"That's true." Rei sighed. "Well, then, we'll just have to take a risk. Two of us will go, and we'll just have to trust to luck and our abilities."

"So, who's going?" said Minako.

Rei glanced up at the clock. "That's what we have to decide, and we don't have very long." She looked around at the others. "Anyone volunteering?"

"Hmm?" said Usagi. "No, I don't like washing up, it's messy. Can't someone else do it?"

"Wake up, Usagi-chan," said Ami. "We're not talking about washing up. We're talking about who's going to compete in this magical tournament."

"At any rate, I vote we _don't_ send Usagi," said Rei. "She'd fall asleep in the middle of the tournament, as likely as not."

"She is the most powerful of any of us," said Ami.

"That's another reason _not _to send her," said Minako. "What if some new enemy chooses to attack while the Tributes are away?"

"Seriously, what are the chances of that?" said Makoto.

"We don't know," said Rei. "What if all this is just a ploy to get two of us out of the way, to weaken us before they attack?"

Makoto gulped. "I hadn't thought of that."

Ami nodded. "We can't disregard that possibility," she said. "So I think Usagi-chan will have to stay here, just in case."

"All right," Makoto said heavily. "So, which two out of the rest of us will go?" She looked blankly at the others. "I can't decide. This whole business frightens the life out of me. But if you want me to go, then I will. I know my duty."

Rei smiled. "Of course," she said. "We all know our duty. We are all prepared to go, if we have to. We just have to choose whichever two of us will give us the best chances."

They all looked anxiously at each other; it was such an important decision that none of them wanted to be the first to make a suggestion, just in case it turned out to be a mistake.

(Usagi, of course, just remained seated on top of Ami, rapidly losing consciousness.)

"What do you think, Usagi-chan?" Minako said in a near-whisper. "You are our leader, after all..." But Usagi paid her no attention. She seemed not even to have heard.

"Well, I think that I ought to go," said Ami. "We don't know what kind of thing we're going to encounter in this other world, and... well..." She trailed off.

Makoto laughed. "You mean it needs someone with a bit of brainpower, but you're too modest to actually come out and say so."

"Well..."

"No need to be so modest, Ami-chan," said Rei. "I think you're quite right."

Ami blushed deeply, and shifted in her seat so that her face disappeared behind Usagi's mass of very long messy hair.

"And who else?" said Minako. "I wouldn't mind going to this other world, but..."

Rei took a heavy breath. "I think I ought to be the other one to go," she said. "After all... other worlds are more in my line than anyone else's."

Makoto nodded, with a look of intense relief on her face. "I think you're right."

"Okay," said Rei. "So, it looks like that's settled, then. Now all we have to do is wait for Monday's Noon to arrive."

* * *

**Author's Note**

I'm very sorry this took so long. I should explain that things are very difficult for me at the moment (in addition to the fact that I'm still working on my other stories), so I expect that updates will continue to be slow for a while. I promise I won't leave you waiting two months between chapters again, though!

I must admit that, apart from the external difficulties, this chapter gave me a lot of trouble. My original plan was to introduce _all_ the universes through scenes of Monday arriving at each one, followed by the debates over whom to choose as Tributes. But that would have been repetitive, and it would have taken much too long to get to the House (which, now, will be in the very next chapter). Maybe this final version still has too much prologue; I don't know.


End file.
